Editing Liquid Tension Experiment

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{short description|American progressive metal supergroup}}
{{About|the band|the self-titled album|Liquid Tension Experiment (album)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Liquid Tension Experiment
| image           = LTE6-21-08.jpg
| caption         = Liquid Tension Experiment onstage at Nearfest 2008. Bethlehem, PA..  From left: Jordan Rudess, Tony Levin, Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci.
| image_size      = 
| spinoff_of      = [[Dream Theater]]
| landscape       = yes
| background      = group_or_band
| years_active    = 1997–1999, 2008, 2020–present
| genre           = [[Progressive metal]], [[progressive rock]], [[instrumental rock]], [[jazz fusion]]
| origin          = New York City, United States
| label           = [[Magna Carta Records|Magna Carta]], Lazy Tomato, [[Inside Out Music]]<ref name="insideout">{{cite web |title=LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT Announce New Album to be Released on InsideOutMusic in Spring 2021 |url=https://twitter.com/insideouteu/status/1339571152046448646 |website=Twitter |access-date=December 17, 2020}}</ref>
| current_members =
* [[John Petrucci]]
* [[Jordan Rudess]]
* [[Mike Portnoy]]
* [[Tony Levin]]
}}

'''Liquid Tension Experiment''' ('''LTE''') is an American instrumental [[progressive metal]] [[supergroup (music)|supergroup]] founded by [[Mike Portnoy]] in 1997. The band initially released two albums, between 1998 and 1999. An extension of their second regular album, with the absence of [[John Petrucci]] was released in 2007 under the name "Liquid Trio Experiment". 

Active up until 1999, when [[Jordan Rudess]] formally joined Dream Theater, the band reunited in 2008 for a series of live shows. A live album with the absence of Jordan Rudess (mostly) was released in 2009 under the name "Liquid Trio Experiment 2", as were three live albums and two videos featuring the complete band. They regrouped once again in 2020 to record a [[Liquid Tension Experiment 3|third studio album]] featuring all band members, which was released on April 16, 2021.<ref name="insideout"/>

==History==

===Formation, studio albums and tours===
Liquid Tension Experiment was formed by Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy after [[Magna Carta Records|Magna Carta]] gave him the green light for "whatever he wanted to do".<ref name="ugportnoyLTE">{{cite web |last1=Jomatami |title=Mike Portnoy Recalls Jordan Rudess Declining to Join Dream Theater & Why He Didn't Want John Petrucci for Liquid Tension at First, Shares Opinion on Mastodon |url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/mike_portnoy_recalls_jordan_rudess_declining_to_join_dream_theater__why_he_didnt_want_john_petrucci_for_liquid_tension_at_first_shares_opinion_on_mastodon.html |website=[[Ultimate Guitar]] |access-date=January 20, 2021 |date=July 23, 2020}}</ref> Portnoy first invited keyboardist [[Jordan Rudess]] and progressive rock icon [[Tony Levin]] (bass, [[Chapman Stick]]) of [[King Crimson]] and [[Peter Gabriel]]'s band to join him. Portnoy also had bassist [[Billy Sheehan]] and keyboardist [[Jens Johansson]] on his shortlist.<ref>''Liquid Tension Experiment'' CD edition liner notes.</ref>

In his second instructional video "Liquid Drum Theater", Portnoy said that his first choice for the guitar was [[Dimebag Darrell]], but he was unable to join because of conflicting schedules. Two other primary choices, [[Steve Morse]] (formerly of [[Dixie Dregs]] and [[Kansas (band)|Kansas]], at that time of [[Deep Purple]]) and [[Jim Matheos]] ([[Fates Warning]]) were also unavailable. Portnoy then turned to fellow Dream Theater member [[John Petrucci]] to fill the position (despite initially wanting to keep the project completely separate from Dream Theater<ref name="ugportnoyLTE"/>). The combo was formed as a side project to [[Dream Theater]] in 1997. Both Mike and John confirmed on the [[5 Years in a Livetime]] DVD commentary, that Rudess was asked to join Dream Theater largely because of the success of Liquid Tension Experiment, and the chemistry of the three working together. Rudess had previously declined to join Dream Theater in 1994 and instead became a member of the [[Dixie Dregs]], known for complex, "Southern fusion" instrumental music.

Liquid Tension Experiment released two albums, ''[[Liquid Tension Experiment (album)|Liquid Tension Experiment]]'' (1998) and ''[[Liquid Tension Experiment 2]]'' (1999) on [[Magna Carta Records]]. They also played a few live shows in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and London.  Mike Portnoy had stated in numerous interviews (and on his [https://web.archive.org/web/20050408055200/http://www.mikeportnoy.com/about/mpfaq/default.asp?menu=about&fldAuto=1 web site FAQ]) that there would not be a third LTE album, as three of the four band members were also part of Dream Theater and the material would be too similar. In 2007 however, he said that a third release is possible, but that his problems with the Magna Carta label are more of an obstacle than getting the band members together to record.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/liquid_tension_experiment_3_is_possible.html|title=Liquid Tension Experiment 3 Is Possible?|website=Ultimate-guitar.com|access-date=October 15, 2020}}</ref>

A situation that had to do with the company that released the Liquid Drum Theater VHS tape using video footage of Liquid Tension Experiment in the studio without getting the required permission of Magna Carta.  Mike Portnoy came back to Magna Carta in 2007 to release Liquid Trio Experiment's "Spontaneous Combustion" Sessions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.magnacarta.net/releases/l3e.html |title=Liquid Trio Experiment |publisher=Magnacarta.net |access-date=July 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814083820/http://www.magnacarta.net/releases/l3e.html |archive-date=August 14, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Several songs and [[riff]]s from the project have been incorporated into Dream Theater's live performances, such as "[[Instrumedley]]" from ''[[Live at Budokan (Dream Theater)|Live at Budokan]]'', which includes excerpts of the songs "Paradigm Shift" and "Universal Mind."

On October 4, 2007, it was announced that LTE would headline [[NEARfest]] 2008 in June. On March 29, 2008, six Liquid Tension Experiment tour dates in June 2008 were announced to celebrate the bands 10 year anniversary as well to create a "whole new musical experiment".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1974753 |title=LTE - 10th Anniversary Reunion Tour Dates! |publisher=Mikeportnoy.com |access-date=July 16, 2011 |archive-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827084039/http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1974753 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Mark Bredius |url=http://www.dreamtheater.net/tourdates.php#lte2008tour |title=Dream Theater Official News |publisher=Dreamtheater.net |date=June 14, 2011 |access-date=July 16, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716150258/http://www.dreamtheater.net/tourdates.php |archive-date=July 16, 2011 }}</ref>

Liquid Tension Experiment released a multi-disc boxed set of tour highlights from their 2008 tour, including complete shows from New York and Los Angeles on DVD and CD (the L.A. show also on Blu-ray), the Liquid Trio Experiment 2 recording from Chicago (q.v. below), and a disc of improvisations from other shows on the tour.  The New York and Los Angeles shows were also released separately on CD or DVD, all through Dream Theater's official bootlegs website, YtseJam Records' subsidiary, Lazy Tomato Entertainment.

===Liquid Trio Experiment===
During the recording sessions for their second album, John Petrucci had to leave when his wife went into premature labor. During that period, the remaining members, who still had studio time booked, continued to write music in improvisation. On October 23, 2007, a compilation of jams from those sessions was released under the name of ''Liquid Trio Experiment''. The album, called ''[[Spontaneous Combustion (album)|Spontaneous Combustion]]'', was recorded from Mike Portnoy's [[Digital Audio Tape|DAT]]s  of the sessions because the original master tapes disappeared before the mixing stage. A few songs from Liquid Tension Experiment 2 were spawned from these jam sessions, including "914", "Chewbacca", and "Liquid Dreams".

===Liquid Trio Experiment 2===
The second incarnation of Liquid Trio Experiment happened unexpectedly while playing a concert in [[Chicago, IL]] on June 25, 2008.  In the beginning of their set, Jordan Rudess' keyboard started playing [[Minor second|two adjacent notes]] on every press of a key. At the end of playing "Universal Mind", he went off stage to talk to the tech crew to see if it could be fixed.  In the meantime, the other three musicians on stage continued to play, improvising for what turned out to be the rest of the concert.  Rudess was on the phone with [[Roland Corporation|Roland]] for most of the time, and finally realized the keyboard was unfixable in that time, so he came onstage and took Petrucci's guitar to jam with the band.  Petrucci took Levin's bass, and Levin joined in on [[Chapman Stick]]. Toward the end of the show, [[Charlie Benante]] from the band [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]] came and played drums while Portnoy played bass.  This entire improvised concert was released in 2009 as ''[[When the Keyboard Breaks: Live in Chicago]]''.

===Interim period===
On July 19, 2012, at Dream Theater's second show on Huntington NY, Tony Levin joined Petrucci, Rudess and [[Mike Mangini]] (Dream Theater's drummer at the time) onstage to perform "Paradigm Shift."<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=undV7qWiBGc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/undV7qWiBGc| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=Dream Theater: Paradigm Shift 19.07.2012 Huntington|date=July 20, 2012|work=YouTube|access-date=May 9, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Later in 2012, Portnoy performed "Acid Rain" live with PSMS, his band with [[Derek Sherinian]], [[Tony MacAlpine]] and [[Billy Sheehan]].<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caFYWlpKBb8&feature=player_embedded|url-status=dead|title=YouTube|access-date=May 9, 2015|archive-date=November 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122192127/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caFYWlpKBb8&feature=player_embedded}}</ref>  They recorded a live DVD in Tokyo including the song.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=186015|title=Portnoy, Sheehan, Macalpine, Sherinian: 'Live In Tokyo' Cd+Dvd Due In March - Blabbermouth.net|work=BLABBERMOUTH.NET|access-date=May 9, 2015}}</ref>

On February 10, 2017, [[Mike Portnoy]] and [[Tony Levin]] reunited on stage in [[Tampa, FL]] to perform Paradigm Shift, Acid Rain and Universal Mind. They were accompanied by members of progressive metal group [[Haken (band)|Haken]].<ref>{{cite AV media|url=http://loudwire.com/mike-portnoy-dream-theater-12-step-suite-live-cruise-to-the-edge/|title=Mike Portnoy Performs Dream Theater's '12 Step Suite' Live on Cruise to the Edge 2017|date=February 13, 2017|access-date=February 16, 2017}}</ref>

In April 2019, both [[John Petrucci]] and [[Jordan Rudess]] announced that a new Liquid Tension Experiment reunion is possible, once all involved musicians find time for that.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/jordan_rudess_on_liquid_tension_experiment_reunion_we_all_kind_of_agree_that_it_would_be_cool.html|title=Jordan Rudess on Liquid Tension Experiment Reunion: 'We All Kind of Agree That It Would Be Cool'|date=April 21, 2019|access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref>

In May 2020, [[Jordan Rudess]] posted a video to the website [[Cameo (website)|Cameo]] stating, in response to a fan's question, that the prospect of Liquid Tension Experiment reuniting "looks very good", with the only barrier being the band members' schedules.<ref>{{cite web |title=JORDAN RUDESS Says 'It Looks Very Good' That LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT Will Regroup |url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/jordan-rudess-says-it-looks-very-good-that-liquid-tension-experiment-will-regroup/ |website=Blabbermouth.net |date=May 30, 2020}}</ref>

===Reunion and ''Liquid Tension Experiment 3''===
On December 14, 2020, Levin, Portnoy, Rudess and Petrucci released a series of posts on social media (pictures of themselves wearing surgical masks spelling out "LTE 3") teasing a third Liquid Tension Experiment album; a picture of the four of them together with the same masks was posted the following day.<ref name="MStease">{{cite web |last1=Rosenberg |first1=Axl |title=Liquid Tension Experiment Working on First New Album Since 1999 |url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/12/15/liquid-tension-experiment-working-on-first-new-album-since-1999/ |website=Metal Sucks |date=December 15, 2020 |access-date=March 31, 2021}}</ref> On December 17, 2020, it was formally announced that ''[[Liquid Tension Experiment 3]]'' would be released by [[Inside Out Music]] on March 26, 2021.<ref name="GPreunion">{{cite web |last1=Maxwell |first1=Jackson |title=John Petrucci's Prog Supergroup, Liquid Tension Experiment, Have Reunited |url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/john-petruccis-prog-supergroup-liquid-tension-experiment-have-reunited |website=[[Guitar Player]] |publisher=[[Future US]] |access-date=December 17, 2020 |date=March 31, 2021}}</ref> The album was ultimately released April 16, 2021; the delay was due to printing errors by the manufacturer.<ref name="SPrev">{{cite web |first=Friedrich |last=Stenzel |title=Liquid Tension Experiment – LTE3 (Album Review) |url=https://www.sonicperspectives.com/album-reviews/liquid-tension-experiment-lte3/ |website=Sonic Perspectives |access-date=April 6, 2021 |date=April 1, 2021}}</ref>

A video for the song "The Passage of Time" was released on January 22, 2021.<ref name="SPtpot">{{cite web |title=Watch LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT Video for Epic First Single 'The Passage of Time' From Upcoming Studio Album "LTE3" |url=https://www.sonicperspectives.com/news/watch-liquid-tension-experiment-video-for-epic-first-single-the-passage-of-time/ |website=Sonic Perspectives |access-date=March 31, 2021 |date=January 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ewing |first1=Jerry |title=Liquid Tension Experiment reveal artwork and tracklisting for new album |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/liquid-tension-experiment-reveal-artwork-and-tracklisting-for-new-album |work=[[Louder Sound]] |date=January 11, 2021}}</ref> This was followed up by a video for the song "Beating the Odds" on February 26, 2021,<ref name="GPbto">{{cite web |last1=Maxwell |first1=Jackson |title=Liquid Tension Experiment, John Petrucci's Prog Supergroup, Premiere New Song, "Beating The Odds" |url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/liquid-tension-experiment-john-petruccis-prog-supergroup-premiere-new-song-beating-the-odds |website=[[Guitar Player]] |publisher=[[Future US]] |access-date=March 31, 2021 |date=February 26, 2021}}</ref> and then by a video for the song "Hypersonic" on March 24, 2021.<ref name="Proghyper">{{cite web |last1=Ewing |first1=Jerry |title=Liquid Tension Experiment release new video for breakneck Hypersonic |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/liquid-tension-experiment-release-new-video-for-breakneck-hypertension |website=[[Prog (magazine)|Prog]] |publisher=[[Future plc]] |access-date=April 6, 2021 |date=March 24, 2021}}</ref>

In an interview for [[Revolver (magazine)|''Revolver'' magazine]], Portnoy revealed the group had signed a two-album deal with InsideOut, and humorously added that a fourth Liquid Tension Experiment album would probably not take another 20 years.<ref name="revolverinter">{{cite web |last1=Bienstock |first1=Richard |title=Liquid Tension Experiment: How COVID "Insanity" Led Supergroup to Prog-Metal Gold |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/liquid-tension-experiment-how-covid-insanity-led-supergroup-prog-metal-gold |website=[[Revolver (magazine)|Revolver]] |publisher=Project M Group LLC |access-date=April 6, 2021 |date=February 9, 2021}}</ref>

==Band members==
===Liquid Tension Experiment===
* [[Tony Levin]] – [[Chapman Stick]], bass guitar, [[electric upright bass]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nedsteinberger.com/ |title=NS electric double bass |publisher=Nedsteinberger.com |access-date=July 16, 2011}}</ref>
* [[John Petrucci]] – guitar
* [[Mike Portnoy]] – drums, percussion
* [[Jordan Rudess]] – keyboards

=== Liquid Trio Experiment ===
* Tony Levin – Chapman Stick, bass guitar
* Mike Portnoy – drums, percussion
* Jordan Rudess – keyboards

=== Liquid Trio Experiment 2 ===
* Tony Levin – Chapman Stick, bass guitar
* John Petrucci – guitar
* Mike Portnoy – drums, percussion
* Jordan Rudess – keyboards

==Discography==
===Liquid Tension Experiment===
==== Studio albums ====
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album details
! scope="col" colspan="3" | Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Sales
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref>{{cite tweet|user=billboardcharts|number=1386704437922738178|title=Debuts on this week's #Billboard200 (2/2)...|date=April 26, 2021|access-date=April 27, 2021}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Billboard (magazine)|US Int.]]<br /><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/307459/liquid-tension-experiment/chart?f=327|title=Liquid Tension Experiment - Chart history - Billboard|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=May 9, 2015}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Oricon|JPN]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/177032/ranking/cd_album/|title=リキッド・テンション・エクスペリメントのアルバム売上ランキング|work=ORICON STYLE|access-date=May 9, 2015}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Liquid Tension Experiment (album)|Liquid Tension Experiment]]''  
|
* Released: March 10, 1998
* Label: Magna Carta
* Formats: CD
| — || — || — 
|
* US: 30,878<ref name="ussales">{{cite web|url=http://www.metalsludge.tv/?p=30330 |title=Sludge Scan As Of September 21, 1999 |publisher=www.metalsludge.tv |access-date=February 16, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109230925/http://www.metalsludge.tv/?p=30330 |archive-date=November 9, 2013 }}</ref> 
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Liquid Tension Experiment 2]]''
|
* Released: June 15, 1999
* Label: Magna Carta
* Formats: CD
| — || 8 || 78
|
* US: 15,721<ref name="ussales"/>
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Liquid Tension Experiment 3]]''
|
* Released: April 16, 2021
* Label: [[Inside Out Music]]
* Formats: CD, BD, LP, DL
| 109 || — || 9
|
* JPN: 2,823<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2021-04-26/|title=オリコン週間 アルバムランキング 2021年04月12日～2021年04月18日|publisher=[[Oricon]]|language=ja|access-date=April 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421045252/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2021-04-26/|archive-date=April 21, 2021}}</ref>
|}

==== Live albums ====
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Album details
|-
! scope="row" |''Liquid Tension Experiment Live 2008 - Limited Edition Boxset''
|
* Released: 2009
* Label: Lazy Tomato
* Formats: CD, DVD, Blu-ray
|-
! scope="row" |''Liquid Tension Experiment Live in NYC''
|
* Released: 2009
* Label: Lazy Tomato 
* Formats: CD, DVD  
|-
! scope="row" |''Liquid Tension Experiment Live in LA''
|
* Released: 2009
* Label: Lazy Tomato
* Formats: CD, DVD
|}

===Liquid Trio Experiment===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Album details 
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Spontaneous Combustion (album)|Spontaneous Combustion]]''
|
* Released: October 23, 2007
* Label: Magna Carta Records
* Formats: CD  
|}  

===Liquid Trio Experiment 2===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Album details 
|-
! scope="row" |''[[When the Keyboard Breaks: Live in Chicago]]''
|
* Released: 2009
* Label: Lazy Tomato
* Formats: CD  
|}

==See also==
* [[List of rock instrumentals]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Liquid Tension Experiment}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:American progressive metal musical groups]]
[[Category:American heavy metal supergroups]]
[[Category:American instrumental rock musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1997]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1999]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2008]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2008]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2020]]
[[Category:Progressive rock musical groups from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Dream Theater]]
[[Category:1997 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:Heavy metal musical groups from New York (state)]]
[[Category:2008 disestablishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Magna Carta Records artists]]